Expert: Stephen Major (Owner--Major Design Group) - 6/13/2007

Question
I'm trying to determine if an interior wall is bearing or not.  The structure is a 1 1/2 story single family home located in Durham, NC .  The second story is framed with attic trusses (2x10 joist chords, 2x8 rafter chords and 2x4 web elements).  The span between exterior wall bearing points is 25' 8" (outside framing to outside framing) and the roof pitch is 10/12.  The 2x4 interior wall in question is parallel to and is positioned 9' 8" (inside framing to inside framing)from one exterior bearing wall.  Stud spacing is nominal 16 OC.  The joist chords of the trusses are toe nailed to the top plate of the interior wall, there are no ties.  The goal is to convert the interior wall to a pony wall and I need to determine if a header and jack studs are required.  If the wall is bearing and a header is required, the header span will be 9'8".  Thank you very much for any input!

Answer
Jeff,

It is rare that a 25'-8" truss would be designed to bear on three points.  I am quite sure that the partition is not load bearing.  If the trusses were designed to bear that way, the webs would converge at a point directly above the wall.  The trusses would be asymmetrical, which I doubt they are.

I assume that your first floor is a slab.  If it is over a basement or crawl space, then there would likely be a beam or other structure beneath the wall to carry the load to a foundation.  

You have three options:  (1) Assume that the wall is not load bearing and proceed to remove it.  (2) Hire a structural engineer to visit the site and have him sign off on it. (3) Assume that it is a bearing wall, and install a header.  I would use a two 1-3/4" x 7-1/2" LVL (laminated veneer lumber) with doubled jack studs.  

I really doubt that the wall is a bearing wall.

Let me know if you have any more questions.

--Steve Major